Hidden Flower: A Naruto Story
by Sionnain29
Summary: After her village is destroyed Kouyou Sayuri finds herself in Konoha. She tries to find a new life in the new village, but her past can't seem to let go. This story will start from the very beginning of Naruto! OCxSasuke/Shikamaru
1. Characters

**These is just a really brief opening chapter to introduce you to the names of the characters and stuff :) I tried not to give too much away but I wanted you to be able to picture the family and Sayuri of course. First chapter to follow!**

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><p>Names and Terms for Hidden Flower<p>

Kouyou Sayuri - Name means element, little lily. The main character of the story. She has short dark brown hair with small streaks of yellow that flash when she's fighting. She has bright blue eyes. She wears a bright yellow t shirt with a deep grey and electric blue jacket over it. She has low rise deep gray pants with yellow and electric blue patterns.

Kouyou Kumori – Name means element, shadow. She is Sayuri's older sister.

Kouyou Yoru – Name means element, night. He is Sayuri's older brother and Kumori's twin.

Yaiba – Name means blade. He is Sayuri's pet dog. He is dark black with white streaks.

Kouyou Houka – Name means element fire. He is Sayuri's father.

Kouyou Arashi – Name means element storm. She is Sayuri's mother.

Ryuuboushi – Means dragon eyes. It is the kekkei genkai of the Kouyou clan.


	2. Escape

**First off, it's taken me many years to get the courage to write and post this story. I've actually had this written for a few years now and I just finally got the courage to post it :) also, like I just said, I wrote this a few years ago so the quality isn't quite as good as I'd like it to be. I've made some changed but it's still not a very good chapter in my opinion. But if you stick with the story I promise it'll get better. I hope you all enjoy and please review if you don't mind!**

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><p><span>Escape<span>

_The heat of the village burning. I could still feel it on my back as I ran away. Yaiba is at my side. His mouth blazing blue with chakra. I am terrified and all I can think is run. So I run. I run until the heat does not touch my back. I run so far before I know it I realize how close I am to my destination. I run until I reach a cliff. I could sense them approaching. I recognize the village in the distance. They can't touch me there. So I jump. I fall. _

I wake up. Another dream. Three weeks after the incident and the dreams wouldn't go away. Sometimes they were worse. Sometimes I wouldn't get away. I look around and remember that I'm in class. Iruka had left for some reason and most people in the class were talking with one another. I didn't know them that well. Next to me with his head on the desk was Nara Shikamaru. My best friend. My only friend now. And my savior. He was the one who caught me as I fell. It turns out I fell into the Nara family deer reserve and Shikamaru had been out getting an estimate of the amount of deer in the park. I can only imagine his surprise at seeing a girl falling from the sky. I can remember seeing his face before I blacked out. I allow myself to day dream and recall the events that happened three weeks ago.

The next thing I knew after blacking out, I was waking up in a bed. For a moment my mind betrayed me and I look to my right expecting to see my sister asleep in another bed but there was only a wall. It came rushing back and I started to cry. I cried for about the next five days in that hospital room until they released me. I had run out of tears by then. The whole time I didn't talk to anyone. Apparently I had run out of words as well.

A shinobi came to my room the day I was released and told me to follow him. He led me to a large building. It was the Hokage's building. They center of the village. I went to meet the Hokage. I had learned a lot about him from my father. Not much of it was good though. My father despised all to do with Konoha. The Hokage talked to me. He said something about my brother and sister. The name Orochimaru came up a few times. I heard no one else survived. I knew it all already. How could I not? I had been there.

"You will be staying with the Naras," he told me. "Their son Shikamaru is the one who found you and they took you to the hospital. Your dog Yaiba is with them right now," His face grew less business-like and more sympathetic. I knew what was coming. I'd been expecting this and my body grew tense. "I'm so sorry for your loss Sayuri. I knew your father and your clan and while we weren't on the best terms I will miss them as well. It is a great loss. This shinobi here will take you to your village, if you would like. There isn't much left but you can gather any belongings that remain." I get up to leave and turn away. "Oh and Sayuri, if there's any problems or anything you need, you can come see me." I nod my head and walk out the door with the shinobi.

Yaiba was waiting outside, unsurprisingly. He was too smart to be kept away from me. We walked to my village. I couldn't imagine how I had run the distance in so short a time the other day. Adrenaline I guess. We walked the path in silence. I tried to prepare myself for the sight that lay ahead but no amount of preparation was enough. My village was ruined. The houses burnt. The bodies had been removed but the blood remained. My fingers tingled. The energy and tension in the air was too much. The shinobi behind me handed me a handkerchief of sorts to wipe away any tears I had but I ignored it. I was filled with sadness but no tears would fall. I began to walk through the ruins and the shinobi stayed behind. I knew where everything was supposed to be. The houses of my relatives and friends, the shops I would go each day, the academy where I became a kunoichi. But none were left. It was all charred ruins. The monsters had decided to destroy everything in their path. Everything except me. I escaped. I came to the place my house used to be. All that was left was a pile of sooty rubble. I paused for a moment in the middle of the street outside my "house". Were those two indents I see in the ground? There had been rain the night before. I look up to the place he had stood. The balcony was no longer there. I look to the spot a few feet away from where I stand. Where the imaginary indents were. Her feet had been there. I clenched my fists. It didn't matter now anyways.

I walked towards the remains of my house. I doubted much would be left. Yaiba bounded ahead and started nosing in the rubble. He knew what I was looking for. There wasn't much. The shattered remains of my mother's favorite vase. I grabbed a piece of the beautiful stained glass and pocketed it. One of the knives with the ruby handle my father treasured. I put it in my leg pocket. I went to the place my room used to be. I spotted a small glimmer beneath the ruins. I pulled it out. It was my old ninja headband. It was useless now. The emblem with the six point star encased in a dragon's mouth meant nothing now. I would have to become a ninja again anyways. Either way I wrapped the bandanna headband around my head. As I walked out of the ruins I spotted one more thing. Laying on the ground were two small blackish purple stones with the kanjis for Kumori and Yoru. Shadow and night. Perhaps they were lost that dreadful night. Or maybe dropped on purpose. Strange that they would be on one string together. I wrapped the stones around my neck next to my bright yellow stone with the kanji Sayuri, little lily.

"Everyone! To the front of the class." My daydreaming came to an end. "We'll be having a transformation justsu test because Naruto here decided to skip class." Iruka had apparently returned with Naruto. I didn't know much about Naruto but he sure seemed to cause a lot of trouble. As I walked to the front of the classroom with Shikamaru my hand went up to my chest where the stones lay. Why had they been on the same string? The question puzzled me. It made no sense. Did they leave them there for me to find? I would probably never find out.

One by one the students performed the task. We were supposed to transform into Iruka-sensei. Most did it fine. Some had a few differences but nothing too major. The annoying pinkhaired girl performed. The dark blue haired boy performed. Shikamaru did as well though quite lazily. It was my turn. Poof!

"Well done Sayuri," Iruka told me. I nodded my head and stepped to the side. It was Naruto's turn. People complained and whined. I didn't get it. They all did fine with the test. Naruto stepped up amid the jeers for his turn. He assumed the position. "Henge!" he cried. And poof! A naked lady and a rather attractive one too. Iruka flew back and Naruto burst out laughing "Sexy Justsu!" I smiled. It was pretty clever. The rest of the class seemed unamused though.

"Ugh Naruto!" "You're such a freak!" "What a stupid techinique." Naruto walked back to his seat and sat down. I understood the feeling when no one thought you were good enough.

After classes ended, Shikamaru and I walked out of the building. He turned to the right and beckoned me to follow. He was heading to our favorite place. The bench with the perfect view of the clouds. I gently shook my head no.

He shrugged indifferently. Shikamaru was a nice guy to be around because he didn't mind that I didn't talk much. Most days I would follow him to the bench and relax while he fell asleep. Today though I had something else in mind.

Yaiba comes bounding by like he always does after school. He understands what I want and takes off. I follow after him. Soon he has tracked down who I was looking for. It was Naruto sitting alone at a Ramen Bar. I take a seat next to him silently. He doesn't even notice me; he's too busy slurping down ramen. I try to speak but it's hard. The words feel like peanut butter in my mouth. Finally I manage to spurt out something coherent.

"I liked your transformation today in class." He looks up clearly shocked. I keep my head directed towards the table.

"Oh uhhh… thanks I guess. Ummmm would you like some ramen?" My stomach growls. "Haha I'll take that as a yes! Hey old man! Another Pork Ramen!" My ramen comes out and it's a few moments of silent slurping. "So uh you really liked my jutsu?" I nod my head. "Oh boy really! I sure did get Iruka-sensei good today didn't I? Hey ya wanna hear about what I did outside of class today?" I nod my head again. "Okay! Well get this…"

Naruto continues for a good hour and I order another Ramen. Silently of course. I used to be a talkative person but I find it hard to form sentences now. When he was done I managed to say the words I'd been planning the whole time. "That's really interesting Naruto." Wow I was bad at this whole talking thing. He apparently didn't mind.

"You really think so! Hey thanks! Gee not many people really talk to me. Well I gotta go! Hey ya wanna eat with me again sometime?" I nod my head and smile. "Okay! Well I'm here after school so whenever you want to just drop on by! Bye!" He takes off running and I wave to him. I had forgotten how to be a real person over the past few weeks but for some reason I felt as though Naruto understood my pain and I wanted to know him.

I go down some of the scenic park paths of Konoha. I never would've guessed a month ago that I would be here in Konoha. My father hated it here. I tense up. My father. I would never again here him complain and criticize this beautiful place. I would never hear him joke with my mother. Praise my brother and sister. Yell at me. My knees go week and I sit down on a park bench. I feel tears forming.

People walk by as I sit crying on the park bench. None seem to notice me. Some look at me with disgust. Like they always do. One boy walks by and scoffs at me. I notice his dark blue hair and shirt. He's in my class. His scorn snaps me out of my self-pity. I always hated being viewed as weak.

I stand up and continue my walk. Today had been a long day. I needed to head back to the Nara's. Yoshino wouldn't get too mad at me but I didn't want to give her a reason to get upset. I went over the day in my head. For some reason I felt more like myself than I had for a little while.

I finished my walk back to the house. Yaiba was still with me playing with the butterflies in the air. I let out some sparks in my fingers to light the way home. It was starting to get a little dark. I looked around in the beautiful park. The Hokage's office building was a little ways in the distance. It looked wonderful with the sunset accentuating the red of the building. Lightning bugs emerged and the butterflies disappeared. Yaiba chased after them instead. He had bits of blue chakra in his mouth. He looked so happy. Happier than he'd been in a long time. I was happy too. It felt strange. I continued to release little bits of electric energy from my fingers. The lightning bugs flew to them like they were friends. I smiled.

I soon reached the Nara household. It smelled good inside. It's strange how I was noticing all these small details now. Something must've changed in me today. We sat down for dinner. The Nara's talked like they always did. Yoshino berated the boys like she always does. Shikaku sits in silent acceptance and Shikamaru looked bored as usual. After dinner I walked upstairs for bed. Shikmaru's and my room were next to each other. He looked at me as we separated. "Goodnight Sayuri." I stopped walking down the hallway and looked at him.

I walked up to him and gave him a hug. "Goodnight Shikamaru. Thank you." He looked at me as I walked away. And I heard his door close behind him. I walked into my room.

Yaiba was already lying on the bed sleeping. I changed into my nightgown and sat down on my bed. The day I started ninja school they gave me a pamphlet with the names of all the kids in the class. I found the blue haired boy who had scoffed at me. Uchiha Sasuke.

'Looks like I have a new person to prove myself to dad,' I think to myself. I lay in my bed for awhile that night thinking about the day. I could mope around and think about what I've lost. I can sit and keep quiet and cry to myself in the park. Or I can have ramen with Naruto, watch clouds with Shikamaru and enjoy the life I have now.

I smile as I close my eyes. 'I think it's time to start something new.'


	3. New Beginning

**This is probably the last chapter that I don't like as much. The next chapter after this is when I really start to like the story better and when Sayuri starts to turn into the kind of character I want her to be :) Thank you to those who have alerted/reviewed my story. Please continue to do so! I guess all that's left to say is enjoy!**

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><p><span>New Beginning<span>

A few days passed after I decided to try and live my life a little more and I could feel myself returning to normal. Naruto and I would meet in the evening when Yoshino wasn't cooking dinner. We would have ramen and he would chat. Mostly about himself. I asked an occasional question and he would happily answer. I learned about how the village hated him and that he had to prove himself. I told him that my clan didn't like Konoha. And Konoha didn't like my clan. So likewise people in the village didn't really enjoy having me around. Especially due to the fact I still wore my headband around. He nodded understanding. I didn't tell him about my father and family. It was too soon for that.

Days like that went on until it was our graduation day. Graduation day! I walk out the door with Shikamaru. He is the same as always. I, however, am slightly nervous. Not as nervous as my first graduation day. I was so scared that day.

In my village not only did you pass or fail. You were graded. I lose myself thinking about that day long ago. Shikamaru notices my distant face.

"What are you thinking about Sayuri?" he asks casually.

"Just about the last graduation test I had to pass," I reply calmly. His face grows more alert. I hadn't yet talked about my past or my family but I assumed he had learned some from the Hokage. However it's obvious he's curious to learn more.

"Was it different than Konohas?" he asks cautiously.

I shrug. "I'm not really sure to be honest with you. Probably. It was called the Dragon's Test."

"Why the Dragon's Test?" he asks. He's asked me more questions in the past minute than he's ever asked in class before.

"Well our elders used to say that we draw our powers from dragons. It's just a legend really but that's why our bloodline is called Ryouboushi. But anyways during our test we would have to take a written test and perform a complex practical exam in front of a panel."

"Hmm yeah that's a little different than here. Here we just have to pass a simple practical exam consisting of usual genin jutsus."

"That's good. I always dreaded that exam anyways." Shikamaru stares at me as I continue walking in silence. I'm glad he doesn't ask more. I don't think I'm ready to tell more.

"Oh. Hey we should probably hurry up now." He's right. The exams will start soon and we don't want to be late. We walk the rest of the path in silence. I forget my nerves and Shikamaru doesn't seem quite as tired. Soon we arrive at our academy.

We sit with our heads on the tables in silent contentment. Each enjoying the others company. Soon my name is called. "Good luck Sayuri." I wave to acknowledge him and walk into the room. Iruka is in there with some other shinobi. Iruka smiles but the others stare at me with narrowed eyes. Yeah yeah I know it's the headband.

"Hello Sayuri we would like you to form two clones of yourself."

"Is that all?" Whoops. Prolly not the most polite thing to say to your proctors. "Oh I'm sorry it's just the exams are a lot more difficult in my village." The two write something down on their clipboards. But Iruka's face lights up.

"Well gee Sayuri that's the most you've said in my class for all the time I've known you. Now can you do the Bunshin no Justsu."

"Well of course sensei. Bunshin no jutsu!" Poof! Two clones appeared.

"Well done Sayuri! You pass. You may retrieve your headband." I walk up and pick up the Konoha headband. I pick one up. Does this mean I'm a Konoha ninja now? Never. I will always be a Kouyou ninja. But still Konoha has helped me. I have friends here. Well at least two friends. I take the headband and tie it around my left arm. I take the Kouyou band around my head and tie it around my right arm. I am a Kouyou and Konoha ninja. I walk out of the room.

I catch Shikamaru's eye and smile. He sees the band around my arm and smiles as well. "Congrats Sayuri."

"Thanks Shikamaru." Soon Shikamaru goes up and passes as well. I see the forehead protector is bound around his arm too. We match. At the end of the day we walk out of the school. Nearly everyone has passed. But I notice one who hasn't.

"Hey Sayuri, Choji and I are going to the BBQ place to celebrate. You're welcome to join us."

I smile but decline. "Thanks but no thanks. You enjoy your time with Choji. Bench with the clouds later?" He smiles and nods. It wasn't because I don't like Choji. Choji has always been fairly friendly to me but today I had a friend who seemed to need me a little more. I walk over to the lone tree where Naruto was sitting. "Hey Naruto." He wipes something away from his face.

"Oh hey Sayuri," his voice sounds thick. "Looks like you passed. That's great."

"Yeah I passed. Hey Naruto you wanna go for a walk? Talk about something?"

He stands up with his face pointed to the ground. "Uh no I'm fine. Well uh I gotta go Sayuri. Bye!" He took off running. Maybe it was my Ryuuboushi or maybe not but I could've sworn he was crying as he ran away.

After Naruto ran away I hung around the school for a bit. All of the kids' parents were around congratulating them. I noticed one boy who didn't have anyone around. It was Uchiha Sasuke. The boy who had passed me in the park. I didn't know much about him but I knew he was quite popular with the girls. He also happened to be a very skilled ninja. He walked out of the building and headed in the direction I was going. I was heading towards the bench with the clouds. I didn't know where he was heading. I wondered why we never walked along the same path before. I guessed it was because Shikamaru walks so slowly. Sasuke was moving at a faster pace.

We wound up walking side by side. It was a tad awkward. Neither of us said anything to the other. We simply walked in silence. It was so quiet and tense. I prayed that he would part another way soon but he didn't. We kept walking quietly. Suddenly he stops. "Why are you following me?"

"Oh uhhhmm. I'm just trying to get to my favorite bench. I'm sorry…"

"Hn. Whatever."

Soon he turns to the left into a rather extensive, if empty, looking complex. Must be his family's home. I continue for a bit until I reach the bench. Shikamaru isn't here yet. Choji tends to eat a lot so it's understandable. I rest my head down on the bench and look at the clouds. One looks like a dragon. Flying through the sky. I close my eyes and think about this morning and the exam. The Kouyou village was so complicated. Life in Konoha is so much simpler even if a lot of people don't seem to enjoy my presence. No grades. No disappointment. My reminiscing from this morning continued.

_I am in the waiting room just after taking the written exam. I think I may have gotten a few of the questions wrong. Kumori got a perfect on the written exam and Yoru got only one wrong. I couldn't get too many wrong. I had to prove myself. Soon my name is called. "Sayuri!" I walk into the room in front of the proctors. They are mostly elders. They hand me the piece of paper. It has four jutsus on it. I have to incorporate my electricity into all of them. The first is a simple lightning jutsu. Basic. I choose my lightning bug technique. Raikou Konchou no Jutsu! The little sparks of lightning fly out of my fingertips and grow in size. Some of the proctors seem impressed and I glow with pride. It was a jutsu of my own creation._

_Next I have to incorporate a physical attack with my lightning. I choose a kick. Kicks weren't my best but they are easy to incorporate an element into. I jump and kick with a small blast of lightning spurting out. It was slightly unimpressive. When Yoru performed this part a wave of darkness was blasted from his knuckles_

_Next I have to show precision with my electricity. They present me with a few targets. I can choose how I hit them. I choose darts. I form little darts of electricity with my hands and aim for the targets. I release from my fingertips. Bullseye! Bullseye! I release the last one but it slips. It lands about halfway down the target. Kumori had hit them all dead center and Yoru spat darts from his mouth. _

_Finally I had to make two clones from my element. I had been dreading this. It was hard for me to maintain anything with my element for long. Rai Bunshin no Jutsu! Poof! Two electric clones still spurting sparks of electricity. Please stop! But they didn't and a few seconds later they disappeared in an explosion of lightning. Kumori and Yoru were each able to have their clones perform certain jutsus. The pride I felt earlier had disappeared. I was deflated. No way did I get a perfect._

_ "Congratulations Sayuri! You pass with flying colors. Here are your grades. I'm sure your father will be very proud of you." The proctor hands me my headband and the paper with my grades. I look down and my face falls with disappointment. An 89 on the written. 96 on the kick. 90 on the darts. A 100 on the first jutsu. An overall 93. Kumori and Yoru got 99._

_I thank the proctors and walk out of the room. My family is waiting. I walk up and hand the paper to my father. His face is hardened and he walks away. My mother bends down, "Oh Sayuri you'll do better next time." She walks away. Why do I need to do better mother? Am I not good enough? Kumori and Yoru pat my head._

_ "Congrats lil sis," they say and walk away with smiles on their faces. I look at their backs as they walk away. If I'm good enough for them why am I not good enough for my mother and father? Yoru and Kumori accept me but they don't. Tears fall from my face as I kneel down on the ground. Yaiba jumps up and tries to lick them away. Why don't you love me father?_

_Suddenly I am in front of the house. It is burning. I rush inside. My mother and father are being tortured by a pale man. "Run away!" they shout. "You must escape!" I see fear in their eyes. Fear and love for the child they had neglected her entire life. It is the first time I can remember seeing love. My father is stabbed. "Run my daughter!" and he falls to the ground. The love and care in his voice sends me running. I do as he says._

_I see her eyes. Cold and emotionless. Above a silhouette of a tall figure simply staring at the burning village. I hear, "What a precious child." And I freeze._

"Sayuri! Sayuri wake up!" I wake up. I must have fallen asleep. It was another dream. And I thought the dreams had ended but it was too good to be true. The dreams won't end until I find them. "Hey Sayuri are you okay?" Shikamaru is the one who woke me up saving me from yet another nightmare. His face is full of concern. "I arrived and you were already asleep so I just lied down next to you. But then you started to twitch and murmur in your sleep."

"I'm fine Shikamaru. Just a bad dream. Thanks for waking me up. Can we head back to the house now? I need a cold drink." He takes my hand to help me up. We walk back to the house in silence. My head is throbbing. He glances over occasionally. As if afraid I'm going to pass out. When we reach the house I grab a glass of water and go up to my bed. Yaiba stayed in the house all day and jumped up to lick my face when I entered the room. I push him down and lay down on the bed sipping. He crawls over and lies down on my stomach. Tears fall from my eyes and just like that day Yaiba licks them away from my face.

At dinner I don't say anything. Shikamaru continues to glance my way. In one small dream all the progress I had made over the past few days disappeared. I didn't talk. I didn't smile. I hardly even nodded my head. After dinner Shikamaru sits down for a game of Shogi with his dad. I head straight up to bed. "Goodnight Sayuri." Shikamaru calls after me.

It took a long time to fall asleep that night and instead of lightning bugs and butterflies my dreams are invaded by cold eyes, dark silhouettes and a voice repeating over and over again. "What a precious child, what a precious child…"

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><p><strong>I realize in my original description I didn't include the appearances for her family cause my initial write-ups gave a little too much away. Now I realize how stupid that was haha. I'll just give a brief description to amend for that :)<strong>

**Father: Spiky red hair with orange streaks and deep red eyes. Fire element.**

**Mother: Wavy dark blue hair with darker blue streaks and light blue eyes. Water element. **

**Kumori: Long black hair with streaks of purple and light purple eyes. Shadow element.**

**Yoru: Shaggy black hair with streaks of purple and dark purple eyes. Shadow element. **

**The bloodline and history will all be explained later. For now just go with it :) If I left out something REALLY confusing let me know so I can fix it. Thanks all!**


	4. My Team

**Meh, this chapter is kinda boring. The next chapter is exciting though :) I hope you enjoy!**

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><p><span>My Team<span>

Snippets of last night's dream float back to me. Cold eyes, random faces, fire. I wake up half delirious. I hadn't had a dream that bad since those nights in the hospital. As I sit up in bed I realize that today is the day I get assigned to a team. A new team. I had a team but they were gone.

Knock knock! I wipe the new tears forming in my eyes away and answer. "Who is it?"

"Hey Sayuri, its Shikamaru. We gotta get going."

"I'll be right there Shikamaru." Well I can still talk it appears. Even after the horrible dream. Maybe I had made progress after all.

Shikamaru and I walked the path in mostly silence. He was half sleepwalking and I wasn't feeling up to talking. That was one thing I liked about Shikamaru's company, he didn't feel the need to fill silence like some people did. The walk to the academy passes quickly today and inside a surprise is waiting for me

"Hey Sayuri look! I passed!" Its Naruto's beaming face with a brand new forehead protector wrapped around it.

"That's great Naruto! What happened?" At that moment Iruka walks in.

"I'll tell ya another time Sayuri," he says with a wink. Shikamaru and I take our usually seats in the back.

"You will all be assigned to teams," Iruka says as he enters, "They will be like your family…" Family. I had a family. I had teammates too even if it was for a short while. Karei and Tansei.

Karei, Tansei and I were assigned to the same team the day after we passed. I didn't have many friends. I had always been too focused on getting better, being the best. In that way a lot of people didn't like me. As if I cared. All that mattered was that my dad and mom were proud of me and loved me.

"Karei, Tansei and Sayuri will form team 3. You're Jonin will be Riki." Riki stepped forward. He had sandy blonde hair and seemed only to be about twenty. Karei stepped forward next. She had dark red hair and fierce eyes. She was confident in herself for sure. Tansei also stepped forward. He too seemed quite cocky with a saunter in his step. He brushed his bronze tassles of hair from his eyes. I stepped forward as well.

And so began our team. Riki was a gently leader quietly pushing us in the right direction. Gentle like the water he controlled. Karei was fierce like her eyes. Fierce like the fire she controlled. And Tansei was an impenetrable barrier. Protecting us at all costs. Like a wall of solid rock. We excelled quickly. We even got a B rank mission. And then…

"Run Sayuri! Karei! Tansei! Run!"

"Never!" "We'll help!" But I ran. I ran towards the glowing light in the distance. I dared a glance back and was horrified by the sight. It was the first of many horrifying sights that day.

"…had the lowest score. Anways, Sayuri, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke you will be a team." Huh my team? What's that? Four people?

"Umm excuse me Sensei aren't there only supposed to be three people on a team?" Some people look back and roll their eyes. Shikamaru sighs next to me.

"Sayuri I just said that one team will have a team of four because of the uneven amount of people this year. Anyways your Jonins will be here later." After Iruka finished calling out the names we went out to lunch. Shikamaru went with his team. It was Choji and some annoying long haired blonde named Ino. I tried eating with them but it was too awkward. Shikamaru was his usual self. Not quite acknowledging me as much as I would like but trying to keep me involved. Choji was friendly enough. Ino on the hand…

"Ahem! Well I thought eating lunch together would be a good way to **team **bond." She glares at me. It appears as though I'm not wanted here.

"Well Shika I'll let you bond with your team." I walk away from the roof before Shikamaru even realizes I'm gone. Maybe I can eat lunch with Naruto.

Yaiba comes bounding up to me. He'd been waiting all morning for me to come out. "Naruto," I say and he goes running off with me close behind. Yaiba takes me back towards the academy. Above I see Sasuke sitting on a windowsill and Naruto approaching him. Hmmm awfully strange. And then bam! Naruto goes down. Sasuke goes down. Suddenly Sasuke comes out and runs off. Oh poor Naruto. I jump up on the windowsill to help him

"Arf! Arf!"

"Yaiba what is it? I have to help Naruto." He growls and points towards Sasuke. My cheeks go pink. Can he tell I have a crush on him? "Oh umm you can follow him if you want." Yaiba growls again and runs off. I need to help Naruto.

I jump up on the windowsill and glance inside.

"Sa..Sasuke? But where's Naruto?" Sasuke continues to roll on the ground. "Here let me help you." He struggles to let me know he can on his own but I let loose some chakra strings to stabilize him. "You wouldn't be able to get out on your own Sasuke." I take out my father's ruby handles knife and begin to cut through the ropes. He stops struggling.

I realize how ridiculous the situation is and laugh. "Don't worry Sasuke. I won't tell anyone." I smile and see if he returns it. He doesn't and my smile disappears. I remove the tape from his face. "How did this happen anyways?"

He looks away. "It's none of your business." I finish cutting the ropes in silence. When I'm done Sasuke stands up. "I need to go find Naruto." He jumps out of the window and I'm left alone and disappointed. 'He could've at least said thank you…' I think to myself and I know he stills thinks I'm a weak person like that day in the park.

We waited in the classroom longer than any other team. While we waited I decided to examine my teammates. First Naruto. I knew a decent amount about Naruto as a person but not much as a ninja. He was fidgety as we waited and seemed impatient. He was probably explosive and loud in battle holding a lot of power.

I looked towards the pink-haired Sakura. She kept stealing glances toward Sasuke. Appears she has a crush on him. From what I gathered in class she did well on tests. I assumed she had little strength in battle though.

Finally Sasuke. Well he was cocky for sure. Cocky people tend to be good though and I had heard he was the best in class. Despite his cockiness he wasn't loud though. Most cocky people tend to be obnoxious. He waited calm and collected for our Sensei. He was definitely smart in battle.

Suddenly Naruto gets up and drags a chair over to a door. "What are you doing Naruto?" Sakura says.

"Hn I'm punishing our Sensei for being so late. There! Hah now he'll get a nice surprise when he comes through the door." He placed an eraser between the door and the wall.

"That'll never work. No Jounin will fall for that trick." I look and see Sasuke. He barely looks up.

"Yeah Naruto!" Ugh Sakura. Yaiba is lying on the ground at my feet. Suddenly his ears prick up. Someone is coming. Soon we can all hear the footsteps. We hold our breath in anticipation. The door opens and a familiar silver-haired ninja peers in. Plop!

"Hahaha you fell for it!" Naruto is cracking up. Sakura is staring in disbelief. Sasuke seems disappointed. I am too busy trying to remember where I know this ninja from to notice the prank. He picks up eraser.

"Hmm my first impression of you is I don't like you." The three are shocked. He looks at us and my eyes catch his. I look down quickly. Who is this ninja?

Soon we are on the rooftop. "Okay so let's begin with introductions. Tell me likes, dislikes, dreams and such."

"Hey sensei why don't you tell us first?" Naruto seems eager to get started. I'm still too busy trying to remember.

"Hmm well okay. Well my name is Hatake Kakashi. I don't really feel like telling you about my likes and dislikes and I have some dreams for the future." Suddenly it comes to me.

"You took me to the remains of my village." I look up at him. I didn't mean to say that out loud. Everyone else is looking at me but I don't pay attention. He was the shinobi who took me to my village to look through the rubble. Yaiba seems to remember too and he goes over to sniff Kakashi before returning to my side.

"Yes I did do that Sayuri." He looks at me peculiarly and I don't look away this time.

"Hey Sayuri what are you talking about? I thought you were just some exchange student from another village." It's Naruto but I don't meet his eyes.

"Yeah. That's what Iruka told us in class." Sakura this time. Sasuke simply stares at me.

"Well maybe Sayuri can explain with her introduction. Why don't we start from the right? You go."

It's Naruto. "Okay! My name is Uzumaki Naruto. Well I like Ramen. I like it even more when Iruka-sensei pays for it..." Ramen Ramen Ramen. Well gee I knew he liked it but I didn't know he liked it that much but finally, "And my dream is to surpass the Hokage and be acknowledged by the village!" He finishes dramatically. Sasuke is next.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I dislike many things and I don't like much. I have an ambition. To resurrect my clan and kill a certain man." He looks on darkly. Sakura and then me.

"Well my name is Haruna Sakura and hmm well the thing I like is more like a person," a sideways glance to Sasuke, "And um my dream for the future," Another glance sideways. It's one thing to have a crush. It's another to be obsessed. "What I dislike is…. Naruto." Naruto's face falls. Hmm I guess he has a crush on Sakura. It's my turn. They all look at me intently. I suppose it's because they don't know much about me. Even Naruto. When we're together he mostly talks about himself.

"My name is Kouyou Sayuri. I like looking at clouds and playing and walking with Yaiba my nin dog. I dislike…" I pause for a second. "Well I dislike letting people down and being looked down upon. My dream for the future is," I pause again. Should I tell them? "My dream is to find my brother and sister." My hand instinctively goes to the purple rocks around my neck. I feel their eyes staring at me.

"Hmm well this has been fun," Kakashi breaks the silence. "Tomorrow all of you will start your careers as a ninja."

"What are we going to do sensei?" Naruto is eager as always.

"We are going to be doing a survival training with just the five of us."

"Training?"

"Why do we need to do training?"

"Yeah we already did enough training in the academy." They all complain and I must admit that training doesn't sound too appealing after doing a month of training in the academy.

"This isn't normal training. This time I'm your opponent." Kakashi starts to laugh. A strange disturbing kind of laugh. "This isn't a normal kind of training. You see most of the people who pass the exam go back to the academy. This training has a 66% fail rate!"

Sakura and Naruto seem shocked. Sasuke is unaffected. I am as well. I assume Sasuke is simply confident enough in himself that he knows he will pass. I am calm for a different reason. In the Kouyou village, only two teams remained genins. The rest had to go back to school for at least another 2 months before trying again. This turn of events was unsurprising

"What!" Naruto explodes. "What was the point of graduating? We went through all that hard work for nothing!"

"Well that was just to determine who had the slightest chance of being a genin. Tomorrow your skills will be tested on the training ground. Bring all the tools you have. Oh and don't eat breakfast you might throw up. Here's a paper." Kakashi gets up to walk away and we are left alone. Sakura glances at Sasuke and then at her paper. Sasuke crumples his up. Naruto looks horrified.

"Hey Sasuke! Wanna go have dinner with me?" It's Sakura.

"No." Sakura walks away defeated. I'm assuming towards her house.

"Hey Naruto, want to go have some ramen?" I go up and ask him.

"Sorry Sayuri I can't! I gotta go practice! See ya!" He takes off running towards his house. I sigh. Shikamaru is probably still with his team and Yoshino isn't cooking dinner tonight. I decide to go to my favorite bench. Which means I'm going to be walking in the same direction as Sasuke.

He starts walking in the direction towards his housing complex. I take the same route. "I'm not following you. I'm only trying to go to my favorite bench." He keeps walking. It's the most awkward walk I've ever experienced. I have to break the silence. "You know you didn't say thanks earlier today." He stops walking and looks towards me. I stop too.

"Why thank someone who doesn't deserve it? I could've escaped by myself." He walks on. Just as I suspected. He just thinks I'm a waste of space. Well I'll show him tomorrow what I'm capable of. I decide to take a different route away from the bench today to avoid walking with Sasuke

I manage to find a place in a quiet park to lie down on the grass. Yaiba lies down next to me and places his head on my stomach. The clouds roll by quietly and the sunset is stunning in the distance. Soon I will go get something to eat but for now this is fine.

I go over the day in my head. It seems so long ago that I woke up from the bad dream. The events of the day seemed to have wiped it from my mind. I close my eyes and instantly Tansei, Karei, and Riki's bodies appear, strewn across the ground. I open my eyes again. No amount of events will ever be able to wipe away what happened. The images were burned into my mind forever. I will never forget.

I lay down on the grass until I see the stars come out. I pick out familiar constellations. I try and spot a shooting star. Before I know it its midnight. I jump up with a start. "I hope Yoshino isn't too worried." I run back to the house and step inside. The house is dark except for one light in the living room. Shikamaru is sleeping on the couch. "Did he stay up for me?" I walk over to his unconscious form and shake him awake.

"Huh? Sayuri is that you? Geez what took you so long? Mum and dad went to bed already. They told me to stay up for you. Are you okay?"

I smile at his concern. "I'm fine Shikamaru just lost track of time. Let's go to bed."

Brrrrriiiiiinnnnngggg! Ugh I hate alarms. I reach over to turn it off and get out of bed. "Arf arf!" Yaiba barks at me to get going. I pat him on the head. I get changed into my ninja gear and grab my kunai and shuriken. When I walk downstairs Yoshino has breakfast waiting. I recall what Kakashi said the other day about not eating breakfast. I could tell instantly that he was lying about the throwing up. Well, I could tell that the reason he didn't want us to eat was because we were going to throw up. It was handy being able to tell when someone is lying or not. Most Kouyou clan members can do it. It comes with the Ryuuboushi.

Seeing all the delicious food Yoshino has out reminds me that I didn't eat dinner last night. I eat as much food as I can before rushing out the door, disregarding what Kakashi said.

When I arrive at the training grounds the others are already there looking quite tired. They must not be morning people. I sit down with Yaiba at my side and look up at the clouds.

We wait for a good two hours before… "Good morning!" Its Kakashi.

"You're late!" Sakura and Naruto cry out.

"Oh yes I'm sorry about that. You see a black cat crossed my path and I had to take a detour." We stare at him in disbelief. "Yes well anyways let's get on with the training." He pulls out three bells. "You're job is to take these bells from me before time runs out. Anyone who doesn't will be sent back to the academy. This means that at least one of you will be sent back. Also you will not get a lunch." The three look at the lunch savagely. They must not have eaten this morning. It makes no difference to me. I had breakfast. "The only way you will be able to get one is if you come at me intending to kill."

"Psh! You couldn't even dodge a falling eraser. I'll be able to get one easily." Naruto… so tactless.

"Those who speak loudest are often those in dead last." Kakashi stares at Naruto. Suddenly Naruto charges.

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><p><strong>I find it most difficult to keep Shikamaru in character. Oh well! If you could review I'd much appreciate that :) thanks guys!<strong>


	5. Success!

**This chapter is where I think my story starts to get a little better :) I'm sorry for taking so long! I was sick and busy and blah blah blah. I'll try and get the next one out tomorrow! Enjoy!**

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><p><span>Success!<span>

Naruto charves towards Kakashi with every intent of doing serious damage. In one quick swoop Kakashi has Naruto pinned and in a complete submissive position.

"I haven't said start yet," Kakashi says calmly. I look at him with admiration. I can feel my blood pumping. I haven't been in fight mode since that day. I hope I still remember what to do. "Hmmm it seems you finally have the intention to kill me. Maybe I'm starting to like you guys after all. Okay get ready… Go!"

With a dash we all run off and hide…well most of us hide. "Come and get me!" Oh Naruto… clearly he wanted us to hide. No Genin can take on a Jonin on his own! Hmmm his own. We need to work together! While Naruto is being taught a lesson on taijutsu from Kakashi-sensei I start locating my other teammates.

"Ryuuboushi," I mutter under my breath. "Yaiba, Sakura and Sasuke. Alert me with two bird chirps. Don't be seen!" He bobs his head to show his understanding and takes off. I'm hidden on a low branch in a tree right now. With my Ryuuboushi activated Kakashi and Naruto become a lot clearer. I am only at the first stage so the only thing I can truly see is whether the intentions of Naruto and Kakashi are good. Both are surrounded by a light blue aura symbolizing their goodness. However, the Ryuuboushi does minor things too. I can read people's body languages better and determine the meaning behind their speech as well.

"Chirp! Chirp!" Yaiba! I look to the chirping and see a tall lump of grass on the ground. I take a closer look and see the pink hair of Sakura on the ground. Sakura! She was probably my last choice for someone to work with but someone is better than no one. Especially when going up against a Jonin. I jump down from the tree and rush over.

"Naruto what an idiot, wait is that tiger seal?" I hear her say. "Naruto run away!" I look up and see Kakashi forming the tiger seal in his hand. It takes a moment but with the Ryuuboushi I can see that he's not trying to hurt Naruto.

"1000 years of pain!" Kakashi cries and Naruto goes flying. Oh boy…

Sakura seems to think so too by the look on her face. "Oh crap I just gave away my position. I better get going."

"Wait Sakura!" She turns around and finally notices me.

"Oh uhh hey Sayuri." She looks at me with an odd expression. Is it disappointment?

"Sakura do you want to work together with me? There's no way we'll be able to take down Kakashi alone."

"Uh sorry Sayuri but I'm gonna go find Sasuke. Good luck!" She goes running off into the woods. One down two to go. I wait in Sakura's old hiding place before I hear Yaiba's chirps again. I look and see behind a bush a familiar blue head. I take off towards Sasuke.

By now Naruto is desperate. He is sending clone after clone towards Kakashi. I reach Sasuke. "Hey Sasuke, wanna work with me?" He shushes me with his finger and points to the battle. I take a seat next to him to watch the ongoing struggle between Naruto and Kakashi. Well a struggle for Naruto at least. In a strange turn of events Naruto manages to grab Kakashi from behind. Sasuke seems shocked.

I try paying attention to the battle but there is a smell in the air distracting me. It is smoky and fiery. I look towards Sasuke and realize its coming from him. It's comforting. Like a warm fire, like fireworks, like hugging my father when I was a child…

Whoosh! I snapped out of my comforting thoughts. I look up to see Naruto hanging from a tree and Sasuke perched in an attack position. Sasuke sent a shower of weapons towards Kakashi. They make contact. And a log appears.

"Damn," Sasuke mutters. He takes off into the woods after giving away his position. Two down one to go. I look down on the scene to see that Kakashi has disappeared as well. Naruto is still struggling from the tree. He is my last hope. I jump down to the clearing

"Damnit, damnit, damnit! Stupid Kakashi and his traps," Naruto mutters to himself. I throw a shuriken up and cut through the rope. Naruto lands on his backside! "Ow! Oh hey Sayuri, thanks!"

"No problem Naruto, hey you want to work together?" I look at him hopefully. Naruto stands up and brushes himself off. Without even looking at me he runs away, calling out behind him as he goes, "Sorry Sayuri! I gotta go find Kakashi! See ya!"

"Ugh! Will no one work with me!" I'm surprised by my sudden outburst but it feels good. I look towards the ground and realize that Yaiba has returned to me. He cocks his head and whimpers. "Well at least I have you Yaiba." I reach down to pat his head.

"The last one…" I whip myself around and see Kakashi slowly walking towards me. I get into a fight stance and Yaiba's hackles rise.

"I wonder what you will try. The Kouyou clan is notorious for their sneak attacks but I've already taken away that element of surprise. I know you are an electric one so your attacks shouldn't be quite offensive or defensive." His head cocks and he waits for my first move.

What he said was correct. The only real advantage I had was being able to surprise him but he took that away. The Kouyou clan was known for sneak attacks mostly because of the Ryuuboushi. It allowed us to sneak up on people and examine them so we knew how best to attack. Because I was too busy focusing on finding a teammate to work with I also didn't get a chance to examine Kakashi. Two things I am good at were already useless. Also being an electric type meant I wasn't too offensive or defensive. I could avoid people but in a one on one battle avoiding only worked for so long. Plus he was waiting for me to make a move.

I clench my teeth and think about what I do have. Yaiba is at my side waiting for my command. I have Yaiba, who is as good as an extra man. I rub my fingers against each other. There is one thing Kakashi doesn't know about my skills. I look down to Yaiba and with my hand sign to him a word he nods his head. From my fingers I release small invisible threads of chakra and drop them down. Slowly Yaiba takes them in his mouth. I make one more hand sign and Yaiba and I begin our attack.

I rush from the right and Yaiba rushes from the left. With a burst of speed Yaiba leaps towards Kakashi. He goes for the head and misses by an inch. He lands on the ground and places all the strings on the ground, hopefully unnoticed by Kakashi. I throw a kunai and feign throwing it at Kakashi's head. As I predicted he moves to the side and the kunai lands on the pieces of string locking them in place. I take a leap and electricity erupts on my hands. I aim for Kakashi's shoulder. He quickly and easily dodges it.

"Hmm this isn't quite what I was expecting. You are taking a Naruto way. Attacking head on."

I smirk. "Not quite." I remark. He squints at me and I backflip backwards. When I finish jumping back I send spark after spark of electricity towards him. He moves to the side each time. As I expected. I stop throwing lighting and catch my breath. My plan might work…

"Oh I see. You were testing me. Smart. I was expecting something like that. Well what have you deduced?" He waits for my response.

I smirk again. "You're right I was testing you and I deduced that you're very confident in your abilities against me." He smiles and laughs.

"Haha you're right. I'm quite confident that you won't be able to harm me."

I smile right back at him. You're right Kakashi. I can't do harm to you. But I can do something else…

I take off again. Yaiba attacks as well, this time faster than the last. I see Kakashi brace himself. Yaiba rushes forward again and this time he goes between his legs. When he reaches the other side he places the other end of a piece of chakra string on the ground. I throw another kunai to pin it in place. Kakashi dodges it and I keep rushing forward towards him. Just before reaching him I spin to the side and just miss grazing Kakashi's sleeve with my electrically charged fingers. He moves to the side slightly. Yaiba and I take a step back before charging again.

The dance continues about 10 times. Yaiba makes a lunge around Kakashi and I throw a kunai to lock a chakra string in place. Every once in a while I take a grab for a bell. Missing each time. After the tenth time I take a step back and nearly collapse. Yaiba is equally tired.

"Hmmm. So you used your dog to distract me and then the kunai to block what you were going for. I didn't know that your fingers were so sensitive and you were almost able to catch me a few times. But you aren't quick enough."

I'm panting and can hardly move. "You're right sensei. And now my energy is almost all used up. But I still have one last attack." I make the sign to Yaiba and gather my energy for one last swoop. Yaibas mouth glows blue and he cuts through specific strings.

Instantly the strings are released in a manner in which they collapse around Kakashi's body. My trap works and Kakashi is immobilized. I move quickly and snatch one of the bells. The remaining kunais on the ground holding Kakashi in place are removed quickly as he breaks through the strings. But it doesn't matter because I have a bell!

"Yes! Yes! Yes! I got a bell! It worked!" I'm filled with joy and accomplishment. Accomplishment that I haven't felt in a long time. Yaiba is happy and running around me barking for joy.

Poof! What's that? I look to the place Kakashi had been standing just a second ago and see only a puff of smoke. A clone but that means… I look down to the bell in my hand. Poof! Only smoke.

"No… that's impossible…"

"But it isn't impossible Sayuri." I turn quickly around but not quickly enough. Kakashi grabs both my hands and pushes me to the ground. Gently but I'm still immobilized. I look up from the ground and see that he's holding Yaiba by the scruff of the neck. My plan failed…

"So it was a clone all along. How did I not notice?" I say.

"Well your Ryuuboushi may allow you to read people well but it doesn't help you see through a jutsu. It was really quite lucky that you didn't make contact with me. You came very close," he explains. I bow my head in defeat and disappointment. He seems to notice and allows me to get off the ground. He lowers Yaiba as well. "It was a very good trap though. If it had really been me you probably would have gotten the bell. How did you come up with it? And how did you direct Yaiba so well?"

I step away and wipe away tears of defeat from my eyes before facing him. "Well I made an assumption right off the bat that you were confident in yourself. I assumed that because of this confidence you would fight me with limited mobility. I was right. You only moved from side to side. This meant my trap would work. In the beginning I signed Yaiba the word trap. While he didn't know the exact plan he knows how to trap a person with strings. So I gave him chakra strings from my fingers."

"Oh I see. They were made from chakra so I couldn't see them. Very smart. So you do have very sensitive fingers." I nod my head and continue.

"On the first attack not only was I testing you I was anchoring the chakra strings in place. It was the first step to my trap. Every other attack after that was laying the strings in a simple trapping manner. I almost used up too much energy to execute the final step to my plan but when Yaiba released the trap I had just enough energy to take a leap. Too bad it didn't work."

"It was a very smart trap." I look to his eyes. I expect disappointment. I expect my father's eyes. But I'm surprised. I see recognition and pride. Distantly the alarm goes off. "Well, we should head back to the others."

Silently we walk back. When we do arrive Naruto is starting to eat a lunch. "Naruto what do you think you're doing?"Kakashi says. Naruto looks up with horror on his face.

I sit down and lean on a stump of wood and watch as Kakashi ties Naruto to a tree. Yaiba comes over and lies down on my lap. Soon Sakura and Sasuke show up too. They each lean on a stump of wood as well. Kakashi hands us our lunches and doesn't give Naruto one. Once we're all gathered we look up to Kakashi hand wait.

"Well after today I think it's clear that none of you need to go back to the academy." Naruto and Sakura's faces light up and even Sasuke seems relieved. I curl up my legs and lay my chin on my knees. Is it really that simple?

Kakashi is smiling, "Yup you three should all quit as shinobi. Sayuri you pass…" I look up in disbelief.

"What? Why?" It's Naruto, in complete shock. I have to admit I'm surprised too. Kakashi's face is grim and dark.

"None of you understand what it means to be a ninja." Out of nowhere Sasuke erupts and attacks Kakashi, reminiscent of Naruto's earlier attack. Again in one swift move Kakashi has Sasuke in a submissive position. "Like this. None of you know the answer to the test."

"Please just tell us sensei!" Sakura cries out. She is looking at Sasuke in horror.

"It's teamwork," I say softly. Eyes on me now.

"Sayuri is right. Did anyone of you really think you could get a bell from me on your own? No. Only working together did you have a chance at getting these bells." The dark look on Kakashi's face won't disappear.

"Then why were there only three bells?" Sakura cries out.

"To test how well you guys could work on a team. Teams have to make sacrifices. That's what teamwork is all about. But none of you three listened. Sakura even when Sayuri offered working together you were too busy focusing on Sasuke. Naruto, you were too intent on proving yourself that you didn't even try to work with another. And Sasuke, you thought everyone else would slow you down. The funny thing about this is that Sayuri, the one person who understood, was also the one person who had the best tactic at getting a bell. If things had been just a little different she may have succeeded." He pauses.

All eyes are on me again. I see disbelief, shock, and surprise in their eyes and I feel my cheeks go pink. Kakashi continues, "Individual talent is important too, of course. But if one person is too individual in combat it can put lives in danger." He pulls out a knife and puts it to Sasuke's neck. I stand up. "Sakura kill Naruto or I'll kill Sasuke."

"What? I.. I can't do that!" Sakura cries out. Naruto looks quite scared.

"See?" Finally Kakashi's voice and face softens. "There are many tough choices and decisions and someone could die." He walks over to the stone. "You see this stone? This stone has the names of all the ninjas of Konoha who are revered and honored. They are heroes"

"Awww yeah! I want my name on that stone! And finally I'll be acknowledged!" Naruto says.

"These are people who have died in battle. It is a memorial," Kakashi stares at it sadly. It's quiet for a while. "I've decided to give you all another chance. After lunch you may try again. Sayuri you may sit out. Oh and none of you give your lunch to Naruto. It's punishment for trying to eat early. You fail if you give him food." And he leaves.

We all take out lunches and sit down. Naruto's stomach growls. Poor Naruto. "Here Naruto," I say. "I had breakfast this morning. You can have mine."

"But Sayuri you already passed. You could fail." There are tears in Naruto's eyes as he says this.

"Here. Sayuri you eat yours," I look over and catch Sasuke's eyes. "You can't fail. Cause when I pass I need to see how good a ninja you really are." He smirks and I lower my food back to my lap.

"Wait!" Now it's Sakura's turn. "I'm on a diet. Here Naruto you can have mine."

"Oh you guys!" Naruto is full out bawling now. Suddenly the surrounding goes dark. Smoke appears and then a loud voice is heard.

"What is this? You guys!" Kakashi appears before us and I tense myself for an explosion of anger. "Pass!" What? We pass..? There is a smile on his face and I can tell he isn't lying.

"But how? We broke your rules." Sakura asks.

"You did. You guys are the first to go against what I said. All others just did as I told them. You know ninjas who break the code are considered trash but…those who betray their comrades are lower than trash," he explains. "Starting tomorrow we will begin our duties! You may all go home!"

"Yes! Yes! Yes! I'm a ninja! Wooohoooo! Hey, hey! Where are you going? Someone needs to help me!" Naruto calls out as we all walk away. Kakashi seems relaxed as he walks in front of us. Sakura is content with a skip in her step. Yaiba is off running in circles. Sasuke saunters and for once in a long time I walk with pride.


	6. To the Land of Waves!

** Blah Blah Blah! Is anyone actually reading this story? I hope so! Well if you are please review so I know what you think :) Thanks all! Enjoy!**

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><p><span>To the Land of Waves!<span>

"What's the distance to the target?"

"Five meters. I'm ready."

"So am I."

"Me too."

"Same here."

….. "Go!"

"AAAAAGGGGHHHHH!" Naruto and Yaiba are on the ground wrestling with the cat.

"Is there a ribbon the left ear?" Kakashi asks through the headsets.

"Yeah we're sure," Sasuke answers.

"Lost pet search mission complete!"

Sigh… two weeks of being a genin and this was probably the most challenging mission we've received. I for one was sick of it. I already had to go through all the grunt work back in the Kouyou village.

"Come on guys," Sasuke says. "Let's return the cat."

When we returned to the Hokage's office the client was already there waiting for her cat. We returned it to her and she quickly began torturing the poor thing.

"Oh my poor little Tora! You made Mommy so scared! Now don't you run away again!"

As the client left we turned towards the Hokage to receive our next mission. 'Please be a C! Please be a anything but a D!' I think to myself.

"Hmm Kakashi you're teams next mission will entitle babysitting in the village, shopping in the next village over and potato digging…." the Hokage says. No sooner than the words are out of his mouth does Naruto explode.

"No! No! No! I refuse to do anymore of these silly missions! Give us a more exciting mission!" he shouts. From the looks of my teammates and even our sensei I can tell they feel the same. Honestly I can't ever remember doing missions as boring as these back in my old village.

As Iruka and the Hokage begin explaining to Naruto the different levels of missions I doze off and begin daydreaming. Shikamaru's laziness has really been wearing off on me lately. After we passed Kakashi's test we officially began our ninja missions. During the days we would perform mindless tasks such as weeding, picking up litter, shopping, and tracking down annoying cats. After that I would go home for dinner and discuss with Shikamaru our days and about his similar annoying D-Rank missions. After dinner I would play a game of shogi with him (and lose) and then we would go up to bed. The days became routine and oh so boring. I never thought being a ninja could be so mindless. The one good thing about all these stupid missions was that I was often so exhausted by the end of the day that I wouldn't have any bad dreams at night. Well almost. Occasionally I would wake up with the image of the two silhouettes in my mind and the voice saying over and over again "What a precious child…"

I snap out of my day dreaming to see that Naruto is sitting on the floor discussing ramen… completely disregarding the Hokage's lecture. "Hmm I had pork ramen yesterday so I think I'll have miso ramen today…" I sigh and wait for the Hokage to berate Naruto. But it doesn't quite happen that way. After Naruto's brief declaration I see that the Hokage is having a change of heart.

"Okay then," he says. "If you really want it that much I'll give you a C-Rank mission. It's an escort mission."

"Oh really!" Naruto shouts. "Is it a princess! A king!"

"I'll show him to you right now… Come in!" The Hokage calls through a door. We all focus our attention on the door.

Slowly the door opens and we watch as an extremely drunk old man walks through. "Heh, they all look like a bunch of brats, especially that short one with the spiky hair." Naruto is oblivious to the insult.

"Hah! Who's the short one you're talking about? Is it you Sasuke?" Naruto laughs. We all line up next to him so he can indeed see that he is shorter than all of us, even me though only by a little bit. "I'll kill you, you old Geezer!"

As we walk out of the village the old man begins to explain himself and the mission. "I am the famous bridge-builder Tazuna. I expect you to escort me back to my village and protect me until the bridge is complete."

"Alright let's go then!" Naruto shouts once more. "I've never left my village before! This is so exciting!"

"Hey is this kid really going to protect me?" Tazuna asks out loud. I have to admit Naruto isn't giving a very good first impression of Konoha ninjas.

"Umm well I'm a jounin so you should be quite safe." Kakashi assures him. As we start walking Naruto and Tazuna start arguing and arguing. 'If this is what the whole trip is going to be like just send me back to my old village,' I think to myself. But eventually they calm down and we begin questioning Tazuna about his village and home.

"You're from the Wave Country aren't you Tazuna-san?" Sakura asks.

"Yes. What about it?" He replies.

"Kakashi do they have ninjas there?" Sakura asks again.

"Well not in the Wave Country. But in many other countries yes. Their customs are different but most other countries have a hidden ninja village." It's silent for a second.

"My village was a hidden ninja village too. It was also part of the Fire country but we were separate from Konoha." I say. Everyone stares at me intently. I suppose none of them know much about me. It must be exciting news for them to learn about the mysterious Sayuri.

"Oh is that why you wear that headband on your other arm?" Naruto asks. I nod yes. "That's so cool! So you were a ninja in your old village and here too! How is that possible?"

'Your old village is destroyed and you're forced to move to another,' I think but instead of answering I remain silent.

"Hey… Sayuri… Sayuri!" Naruto just won't let up. Finally I'm saved by Kakashi.

"Naruto let me explain the other ninja nations," Naruto loses interest in me almost immediately and as Kakashi continues explaining I catch his eye. I see the look on his face and mouth thank you. He nods his head and continues walking.

After a few paces we pass a puddle. Even though my Ryuuboushi is not activated I can sense something peculiar. I activate my Ryuuboushi under my breath. Almost immediately I sense it but it's too late. Yaiba lets out a high warning chirp just as they appear.

Two ninjas come flying out of the puddle on the road with violent looking chains attached to them. "Kakashi look out I scream!" But once again I'm too late as the ninja's wrap the chains around his body.

"What?" He says right before his body is violently severed into pieces.

"One down…." The one ninja says before jumping to Naruto. "Two down…" he says as he begins wrapping the chains around Naruto.

'No!' I think. 'I wont't lose another friend' I take out a few shuriken and throw them at the chains. Apparently Sasuke had the same reaction and our shuriken collide to take out the chains that were about to trap Naruto. We pause for a second and I examine the ninjas with my Ryuuboushi. They're very deadly that much is easy to tell but they also work best as a team. Our only chance is to separate them. I'm about to strike when suddenly Sasuke leaps and lands on the duo's heads. He uses a kunai to pin the chains of the pair of ninjas to the wall successfully trapping them. 'Wow… he's good.' I think. But it doesn't stick and one of the ninja leaps out of the trap and goes after Naruto. The other aims for Tazuna. I go for Naruto. My friend is more important than the mssion right now. I leap towards Naruto and tackle him out of the way. Yaiba grabs Naruto's collar and pulls him aside. I take his place and prepare for the impact of the ninja. But before I feel it a figure flies out and grabs both of the ninjas.

It's Kakashi. He used a body switch technique. I breathe a sigh of relief and check on my teammates. I look over to see Sakura and Sasuke both protecting Tazuna. I'm grateful they stuck to the mission while I was occupied with Naruto. I see Naruto is still lying on the ground, slowly pulling himself up.

"Sorry I'm late guys. I got you a little hurt Naruto," Kakashi says. I look at Naruto and notice his hand is bleeding.

'Damn! I was too late,' I think.

"I just didn't think you would freeze like that," Kakshi continues. "Nice job Sasuke, and you too Sakura. Sayuri thanks for keeping Naruto safe."

Naruto looks like he's in shock. "You alright Scaredy Cat?" Sasuke says to Naruto.

Naruto looks angry. I go over to tend to his wound but he pushes me away. "I don't need your help Sayuri," he says angrily.

'How rude! I'm the one who saved his life!'

"Naruto you should let Sayuri tend to that wound. Their claws were soaked in poison and we don't want it to spread. Tazuna-san may I speak with you?" Kakashi turns to the old man.

"Yes what is it?"

"These are Hidden Mist Chuunin. They're known to be violent fighters."

"How did you read our attack?" one of the Hidden Mist ninjas asks.

"The puddle gave you away. One a hot day like this why would there be a puddle?" Kakashi says.

"If you knew they were so dangerous why did you let the kids fight them?" Tazuna asks.

"I wanted to see who they were after," Kakashi turns to me. "Though it probably would've been safer just to ask Sayuri." He looks at me kindly. I notice that my Ryuuboushi is still activated so I let it go off. He's right I could've told him if I'd gotten better chance to examine them. I was too busy focusing on staying alive however.

"Anyways," Kakashi continues. "I wanted to see if they were after you or one of us. We weren't informed of the potential danger of other ninjas on this assignment. This mission has now become a B-Rank mission. We were just supposed to protect you until the bridge was completed. If you had submitted this as a B-Rank mission it would've been more expensive. I'm sure you have your reasons but this compromises our mission. We will now have to perform outside of our duties."

"But Kakashi!" Sakura interjects. "This is too dangerous! We aren't prepared for this. Shouldn't we go back to the village and get Naruto a doctor for his wound?"

"Hmm I guess we should return to the village to help Naruto…" Kakashi answers.

Naruto who had been quiet the entire time begins to shake. Suddenly he takes a kunai and stabs his hand. "I try every day. I practice jutsus. I train. Why aren't I stronger…" he says quietly. As he pulls the kunai out his voice rises. "With this kunai we'll complete the mission and protect the old man!"

'Ugh why does he have to be so dramatic…'

"Naruto," Kakashi says. "It's good that you're releasing that poison but you'll die from losing too much blood with a wound like this." He has a smile on his face.

"Ahhh sensei save me save me!" Naruto screams. After a few more dramatic minutes of Naruto freaking out and Kakashi dressing the wound we head out again.

After walking for a while we come to some boats. The Land of Waves is on an island so I guess this is how we're getting there. Pretty soon the mist becomes so thick on the boat I don't know how the rower can see.

Soon we approach the bridge. "Wow it's huge!" Naruto exclaims. We all shush him.

"Be quiet!" The rower says. "Why do you think we aren't using the engine? If Gatoh finds us we'll be dead." Naruto covers his mouth and the rest of us stay silent. In the far end of the boat Kakashi and Tazuna are discussing quietly but eventually the rest of us start listening in.

"Gatoh is known for his large shipping business but secretly he is a drug trader and uses ninjas to achieve his motives. He is a very powerful man," Tazuna says. "About a year ago he set his eyes on the Wave Country and quickly took control of the shipping business. The only thing he has to fear now is the completion of the bridge."

"So since you're the one in charge of the bridge you're the one in the way…" Sakura says.

"And those ninjas back there were sent after you…" Sasuke says.

"In other words you're his biggest threat right now," I finish. Naruto just sits there dumbfounded. Our boat continues to travel through the thick mist. I grab Yaiba and keep him close.

Suddenly Kakashi speaks up, "But if you knew these ninjas were going to be after you why didn't you inform us so we could offer better protection?"

Tazuna is quiet for a second before answering, "The Wave Country is very poor. Even our feudal lords don't have a lot of money and we are very poor as well. I didn't have the money for a B-Rank mission. If you decide to leave me now I will be killed but… my poor ten year old grandson will probably cry for me! And my only daughter will forever live her life hating the Leaf ninjas!" He continues sobbing.

'Well he really doesn't give us much choice…' I think to myself. Apparently Kakashi agrees.

"Well I guess I don't have a choice! We'll protect you for a little while longer." Tazuna stops sobbing and our boat begins to travel through a tunnel. On the other side the air clears and we arrive at a nice port. We thank the boat driver and head on our way.

Kakashi looks stressed and I have an idea why. There's bound to be another attack and now that they know a high level jounin is traveling with Tazuna, Gatou is going to send even higher level ninja. I activate my Ryuuboushi just in case. It wears out my chakra easier but it allows me to sense the intentions of people around us. If someone wants to harm us I'll be able to tell but I know the longer I hold it the smaller my radius of view will become. I have a hard time maintaining my Ryuuboushi for long amounts of time.

We continue walking in silence. Out of nowhere Naruto throws shuriken into the bushes. We all stare at him.

"Hmm I guess it was just a rat…" He says.

"Naruto stop trying to be so cool!" Sakura berates.

"And please don't throw shuriken it can be very dangerous…." Kakashi says from the side. I just sigh. Naruto continues looking through the bushes to find something that might have been a threat. I take the brief respite to rest my eyes. As Sakura and Naruto continue fighting I turn to Sasuke.

"Heh these two are pretty ridiculous huh?" I say trying to make small talk. He doesn't even look at me. "You did really well back there against those two ninja."

He looks at me and shrugs.

"THERE!" shouts Naruto as he throws more shuriken into the bushes. To my surprise Kakashi runs over and inspects it. It was only a rabbit. I turn back to Sasuke and decide to activate my Ryuuboushi again. Just as the chakra reaches my eyes I'm pushed down by Kakashi.

"Everyone down!" he shouts. We all hit the floor as a giant sword whizzes over our head. I grab Yaiba and hold him close to my body. There it is.

My Ryuuboushi lights up his body in flashing red colors. He's bad, very bad. I focus my chakra more to try and gain more information. He wants to hurt us, that much is obvious. He has a killer's instinct. He's working for someone too. All of that I already knew. His main intention is to kill Tazuna but at the same time I sense a desire for him to fight Kakashi. But there's something else I can't quiet place my finger on…

The ninja leaps out of his place in the trees and lands on the sword that has lodged itself in a tree. His body tells me he's calm and confident. He has no problem facing us and killing us. He's definitely not like the other two ninja.

"Well if it isn't the Hidden Mist Village's missing-nin Momochi Zabuza," Kakashi says. His posture is always relaxed and not much different than he usually is. However his eyes are more intense and his voice has an edge to it. He's nervous. But not for himself. He's worried about us and one of us in particular…

"Go!" Naruto suddenly shouts. I manage to focus on him a split second before he charges and react instantly. I leap in front of him to try and stop the attack I hold out my hands and he pauses at my back. Kakashi puts his hand in front me as well.

"Get back…" he says and I don't hesitate before grabbing Naruto's collar and pulling him back to Sasuke and Sakura. "If I'm going to fight him, I'm going to need to take this to a whole new level," he says as he pulls back the forehead protector that has been covering his eye.


End file.
